Rivals Headline Re Derrick Green (Good)

The front page headline on Rivals: "Green says Michigan has the edge."

Sam Webb has been saying that we are the team to beat for sometime, but this is the first time that Green has confirmed that status. We can definitely use both him and Deveon Smith to bolster a shaky RB situation (especially if Fitz cannot come back to full strength).

I recognized the kid on the left from the commercials and it looked like it was to be supposed high school aged kids doing an obnoxious looking song and dance routine. Regardless, I'm not necessarily bad mouthing the show, I just think it doesn't pair well with sports.

However, I cannot stand incredibly short gifs like this. I have to watch it 12-15 times just to figure out what is going on. Then, after I read the words, I stare at everyone's mouths to see if anyone is actually saying "come at us bro". But of course, the gif loops too quickly and I can't quite be sure. Then I get frustrated and keep watching to try to figure out what is going on....and then I just realized I spent 15 minutes trying to decipher a gif.

It's technically pronounced "jif" because the guy who developed the file format says that's how it should be pronounced.

From Wikipedia:

According to Steve Wilhite, the creator of the GIF format, the original pronunciation deliberately echoes the American peanut butter brand, Jif, and the employees of CompuServe would often say "Choosy developers choose GIF", spoofing this brand's television commercials.

Apparently the guy who created the format declared that it was pronounced "jif" but the vast majority of the nerd community immediately ignored him. Near as I can tell, pronouncing the hard g is almost universal.

I have no idea what Peyton Hillis and Shallman have to do with each other.

But yes, Brandon Jacobs is huge and a running back. And so was Christian Okoye about 20 years ago. I guess since there are 1 or 2 every 20 years, then Shallman will be destined to repeat their success.

totally possible and the coaches may already have a plan in place for where they want him - they may fully anticipate him not being able to "make it" as a RB, which is totally possible as he does fit the FB mold in terms of numbers.

I don't think anyone is writing Shallman off because he's a big bruiser.

Personally, I'm writing him off (as a tailback) because he's not very good at running the ball. And he didn't play much RB his senior year. CC's coaches obviously thought he was more valuable to them on defense, but it's not often that a kid who doesn't play a skill position in high school ends up as a Big Ten running back.

Common prediction? By whom? Not a single person I consider reputable has predicted Shallman plays running back. Some have insisted RB while others have predicted DE, but no one other than random internet guy has said anything about fullback.

Really, only "random internet guys" have predicted DE, either. If we're talking about FACTS, then Michigan's coaches have recruited Shallman as a tailback. And that's what the Shallman people insist that he'll play in college.

Personally, I don't think he'll end up as a true fullback in the sense that John McColgan and Joey Kerridge are/were fullbacks. If he plays a fullback-like position, it will probably be as an H-back type like Aaron Shea played.

Well that's not true - I've read interviews with Shallman where he says he's talked with the coaches about playing defense at Michigan. And considering he spent the entire season at DE for his team, that seems like the most likely destination to me. That's also what Brian is predicting, and although he is certainly an internet guy, he's not exactly random.

When Shallman committed 10 months ago, the Shallman people insisted he was purely a tailback, but that story has changed some. Fullback, however, has been purely random internet guy who thinks Shallman is too big to be a ball carrier.

Hoke said something like "We like what we've seen from him." That's not bad news, obviously, but it's not a ringing endorsement, either. They liked what they had seen from Thomas Rawls, too, and he's clearly still a work in progress.

You beat me before my due diligence update. It was in response to a question after Hoke said he'd wouldn't mind the NCAA allowing redshirt freshmen to play in bowl games. Someone asked if he had anyone in mind, and he said, "Maybe. Maybe. We like what Drake's done to this point..."

I can't think of a single big-time RB recruit that has redshirted in recent history (other than due to injury). If RBs are any good, they tend to be ready straight out of high school. And we could certainly use him.

I'd really like a Hello post soon from one of the big names left on our recruiting boards. It seems like we only get Goodbye posts recently. I guess this is the price we pay for an 8 commitment day in early spring.

He didn't have a meltdown, he just tried to trick the very smart-witted mgoblog community. He created 2 new accounts. With the first one he created, he tried to make sure everyone knew it was him and that he was posting again. He used the second account to downvote the first one and act like he was a normal member even though it said he joined 30 minutes prior.

I hate my cynical nature, but you constantly have recruits that do not have Ole Miss on their radar at all, and then all of a sudden as they get close to decision time . . . up pops Ole Miss.

The longer a recruit takes to make a decision, the greater the odds of Ole Miss sneaking in and "influencing" that decison at the 11th hour. Yeah, they have pretty girls and the Grove, but they had them in February too.

It may just be nothing, but I am so jaded by CFB, and the SEC in particular, that I can't see the Rorschach test in other more benign ways.

I don't know why. These kids have offers from USC, Alabama, Florida, and other similar schools. Those schools have already been eliminated or are about equal in the pursuit of these players. We're not in any worse of a situation in regard to these specific recruits (although our recruiting class might not be as good overall).

It does seem like a random mix, it isn't like these potential recruits are choosing between three very similar schools. If anything, they're just have a smorgasboard of random schools they seem to throw out. One private high quality acdemic school from the west coast with a good football program, a terrible public academic school with a mediocre team, a good private school in the south with a bad program, a par academic school from the East Coast with an average program. It all just seems so arbitrary.

I can see why he'd at least be interested in Vandy, one of the rare schools that has both good academics and a solid, exciting football program. That being said, Vandy's never gonna be a first-tier SEC team. And although it's close to the Nashville music scene, the latter is still largely country. Additionally, Vandy is a very prim, socially conservative place. Michigan trumps Vandy in most areas, except weather.

Maybe it trumps Vandy in most areas for YOU. However, Vandy obviously is a place he greatly likes. People on this board need to understand that different people like different things. Obviously we all feel strongly about UM, but we need to accept that other people don't view it in the same way as us.

This is true. But Vandy is a very boring school and most of their students wish they went somewhere else (only there are few academic options nearby). I enrolled in Vandy before flipping my committment to Michigan. There is no comparison at all in terms of the college experience. I am so glad I did not go to Vandy. Leon should read this and Go Blue.

I don't follow recruiting closely but I was totally surprised when I read that this kid was hyping up Nashville because of his desire to be a musician. Sweet, I thought. The next Gary Allen or Eric Church could potentially play at Michigan.

But this dude really thinks Vandy's proximity to Nashville will help him become a rap artist? Vandy is an excellent school but that seems like the last reason anyone would want to go there.

Not rap artist but producer. I agree with you though. I am not so sure the people of Nashville want hip hop music to flood the area. That is like when people reference Detroit for Motown. This isn't the 1960s anymore, you have a better shot to be a musician by posting on YouTube than living in a certain place IMO.

It's not like Michigan is really lighting the world on fire offensively. And whether we like it or not, the SEC is a superior conference. Also, the weather's nicer, Treadwell has a former teammate at Ole Miss, etc.

i played HS football in kentucky....and those summer practices sucked, so the nicer weather thing doesn't really make any sense to me. I personally loved playoff time when it got cold, but that could just be me. I know the SEC is a better conference, but it isn't because of Ole Miss or Vandy. These kids have a chance to play for one of the most storied programs ever with a great bunch of surrounding recruits, play for a B1G championship and maybe a NC in the new playoff system, and get national TV coverage. Or they could become a very good player on a middling SEC team that will probably never break through to a national championship or even an SEC championship......the choice seems obvious to me, but I'm a Michigan fan, so whatever.

We might not like it, but these kids haven't seen the days when Michigan was awesome. They have grown up in an age when Lloyd Carr was nearing retirement, when Rich Rodriguez went 16-22, and when Michigan hasn't produced much in the way of running backs or wide receivers.

They probably don't think "national powerhouse" when they think of Michigan.

In reality, Ole Miss is a middle-of-the-pack in the country's best conference. And Michigan is in the upper half (along with OSU, Wisconsin, MSU, etc.) of the country's 2nd/3rd/4th? best conference.

yeah, I guess I didn't think of that...even some people my age in their mid-20's seem to forget Michigan being really good......we need to show these kids some videos of the A-Train, Terrell, Manningham, Mike Hart, Edwards, Howard, Perry, Biakibatuka tearing up OSU, Woodson, Shazor, Marlin Jackson, etc....plus we should show them some video of Shane and our incoming o-linemen. I have high hopes for Green, middling for McQuay, and obvioulsy low now for Treadwell. Here is to hoping the Chesson, Darboh, and Funchess become the next Breaston, Avant, Edwards tandem.

Joe, I also played HS football in Kentucky (Madison Central) and it was brutally hot and steamy during summer two a days. I too loved playoff football when it finally got cooler. I can only imagine the summer misery in Oxford, Mississippi.

I know this is now way OT.....but you played at Central? I played at Lexington Christian from 03-06...did you by any chance play under Paul Rains before he left for LCA? Just wondering because he was my coach....great guy, great coach.

but Treadwell and Green would be serious talent upgrades in both positions for us. With what our offensive line would look like in 2014 (maybe even late 2013), I would imagine that'd be a draw for both a receiver and a running back (more time for the QB to throw in the pocket and more holes to punch through). It seems like it would be a great opportunity to be an offensive skill position player.

I know the SEC is a better conference than the B1G at the moment, but I expect that disparity to close at least a bit with a resurgent Michigan.

It does makes me wish we'd been able to keep hold of Standifer, though.

"Our offensive line is going to be good" is not as good of an argument as "Our offensive line is already good and will continue to be."

I'm not saying Ole Miss and other schools can make that pitch, but WE all think about the 2014 offensive line because we're fans and that's what we do. These kids want to see production on the field, not just hypotheticals. Alabama can recruit stud after stud because they've seen good offensive lines and the stud running backs running behind them.

Dont forget Robert Nkemdiche, while not a M target the #1 player is considering Ole Miss and Georgia. Momma wants him to go to Ole Miss to play with his brother but its probably a 70/30 shot that Georgia ends up with him.

we don't usually see an example like this where it's so close to signing day and both players are down to a few schools, I think in this situation it helps quite a bit, especially since the 2 positions are so reliant on each other

You're right - in most examples, guys who say they want to play together end up choosing different schools for a variety of reasons.

However, this situation isn't typical. These are two guys who have their favorites narrowed down pretty far, with one school in common, and that one school is the leader for both kids late in the process.

It's one thing to say in April that you want to play in college with your buddy. It's another to talk to your buddy, realize you're both favoring the same school in December, and decide that that's enough to push it over the edge.

i'm not surprised. if green comes here, he would be running behind what should become one of the best, if not the best offensive line in the country in a couple years. he should see immediate playing time, too, if he lives up to his billing. if he can improve his overall speed, especially his breakaway speed, i can't imagine what he'll be able to accomplish.

Magnus (or any other film watcher), care to compare Green vs. Greg Bryant (recent ND commit)? I'm curious since you seem to have been a bit skeptical re: Green even though he's the #1 ranked RB in some circles.

I'm skeptical in that I don't think Green is the #1 running back in the country. I do think that he can be a good running back.

Bryant is a little more like Cierre Wood who's currently at Notre Dame. I don't think he's going to blow people away with his speed, but he's fairly shifty, fairly powerful, and fairly fast. He's more physically developed than Wood was coming out of high school, though, so I imagine Bryant will be a bigger version.

Green is a little more like Montee Ball. A straight-ahead bruiser who has improved his balance in the past year. My biggest knock on Green has been his inability to keep his feet through contact, which was a HUGE problem as a junior. His senior film is much better, in my opinion.

Magnus, thank you for that insight. I, and many other posters I would assume, really appreciate your insight and analysis with respect to specific players. I try to follow as much as I can, but I just don't have the time to be able to follow all of the different recruits. It's great to have a (informed) poster who can shed some light and make comparisons on specific players.

he may very well be, but hoke needs to be able to land those julio jones/trent richardson types of skill players. he's shown the ability to land elite defensive guys, but as far as offensive skill players, outside of morris, he doesn't have anyone. i know, recruit stars aren't everything, but you still need to land some of those guys. fortunately, it looks like michigan has the inside lane to green's commitment.

So far he has only completed one full recruiting cycle. For 2012 and 2013 so far, at skill positions we have 1 5 Star, 4 4 stars, and are the favorites for another 5 star and have a decent shot another 5 star. This has been during a period of recruiting where we have been heavily focused on rebuilding the OL and defense. Criticism that Hoke can't recruit skill position players is stupid.

It's great that we have our QB of the future and all, but I agree that our talent at RB/WR needs some work. LSU, Bama, etc. still have very talented players at these positions even if they are not hyper productive.

The days of a Roundtree level player as our pseudo-primary receiver need to end. I know our interior line was brutal at times this year, but it's obvious to me that we need better talent at RB to succeed in a manball offense.

Curious about the A&M situation and Georgia has 30 as well. How many slots do they have open and how many kids are going to be told "sorry no room for you, best of luck". Also just posted on Fox Sports Marcus Lattimore intends to enter the NFL draft

If Green was announcing his decision next week, then a statement about where any particular school stood might be relevant. Since he's already stated that he's open to other schools and recruiting is "picking up again, concluding from one statement that Michigan is his likely destination is nothing more than wishful thinking at this point. I still think he's a long shot to leave the South.

I really like Green, but I am wary that he is open to the possibility of additional visits to other schools. He should by all means do what he has to do, but given how much attention the Michigan coaches have shown him and the current state of his other primary contenders, I am not holding my breath on him since he hasn't already committed.